Poundland Steps Up Drive To Revamp Stores And Widen Ranges

• 275-300 stores to get chilled and frozen food and PEP&CO clothing in FY23
• Ambition is to bring more value to more places as an alternative to supermarkets
• All Diamond stores to get Britain’s best value meal deal at £2.50

Poundland today (1 November) sets out plans to offer an alternative to the big grocers by accelerating ‘Project Diamond’ which will bring new ranges to between 275 and 300 more stores between now and Autumn 2023.

Over 350 stores have already had Project Diamond makeovers in the last three years, bringing chilled and frozen food and more PEP&CO clothing and home departments to those locations.

That revamp is now being stepped up so almost all of Poundland’s UK locations will offer customers new and extended ranges by the end of September 2023.

Together with an ambitious store opening plan for 2023, and a commitment to helping customers cope with the effects of soaring inflation, Poundland will be bringing more value to more places than ever before.

Since the first pilot in 2019, Project Diamond makeovers have given customers the best shopping experience, including installing chiller and freezer cabinets and making more space available for PEP&CO clothing.

And while frozen food is proving a hit with customers, chilled food is also winning new customers.  All Diamond Poundland stores will offer Britain’s best value meal deal for £2.50 giving customers, a selection of sandwiches, snacks and drinks. Last week a major supermarket increased the price of its meal deal to as much as £3.90 from £3.00.

Alongside revamped ranges across groceries, health and beauty, entertainment, DIY and stationery, it means customers can do more of their shopping in one place – making the discount store a stronger alternative to the supermarkets.

Poundland today unveiled the next 28 stores that will get a revamp and introduce a wide range of chilled and frozen food to more customers in England, Scotland and Wales under the latest phase of Project Diamond. The list includes some of the earlier stores to get the Diamond treatment which are now scheduled to get a “re-sparkle” through a follow-up makeover.

In August, Poundland announced plans to open, relocate or extend up to 25 new stores by the end of this year. The next in line are Port Glasgow, Bloxwich, Swiss Cottage, Perth St Catherine’s and Morecambe, with more to come through November and December. Recent openings include Broadstairs, Inverness, Aberdeen, Whitechapel, Bradford Forster Square and Speke.

December openings include two supersize stores through an extension at Denton Crown Point Shopping Park in Manchester and a new store at Peterborough’s Brotherhood Retail Park.  Each will be around 18,000 square feet, putting them among the largest Poundlands in the country.

Poundland plans to unveil its ambitious store opening plans for 2023 early in the near year.

Since June, Poundland has increased the number of items available at its iconic £1 price point, to help Brits manage rising inflation. 

Tim Bettley, Poundland’s commercial director, said: “Our ambition is to offer more value in more places through opening relocating and extending new stores and accelerating the rollout of Project Diamond so that customers can find more of what they need close to home.

“We’re working hard to extend our ranges in new categories such as chilled and frozen food and clothing and to constantly select the items that give customers value for money at a time when they need it the most.”  

Source : Poundland

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